Blue Life, a Novel

Blue Life follows the divergent paths of an art student and an aspiring actress who meet as performers in the legendary “Go-Go” dancing scene of late 1970s New Jersey. With their shared experiences Luna and Didi form an instant connection, but while Luna’s path ascends through her work as a burgeoning artist in New York City, Didi’s life spirals downwards.

A compelling story of friendship, loyalty and love as well as the devastating effects of mental illness, Blue Life offers a unique look at the seedy New Jersey go-go scene, the vibrant clubs of New York City in the late ’70s and early ’80s and the East Village’s vibrant art scene.

Blue Life transports readers to a unique time when everything felt like it should be possible, offering an unflinching look behind the perceived boundaries of friendship and the limits of sexual power with a cast of memorable characters whose individual stories live with you long after the story is over. 

“A raw, immersive portrait of desire, addiction, and the fragile search for belonging in a city and a scene that devours the unsteady, Blue Life burns with reckless intimacy and the electric danger of a life lived too close to the edge.”

—Jowita Bydlowska, bestselling author of  Unshaming

“McLaughlin rockets us back to a kaleidoscopic New York before gentrification, where punk, funk, and disco rule the night. Blue Life is ultimately a story about self-discovery, and the gift—and tender pain—of friendship. An entertaining and insightful coming-of-age tale.”

—Nora Young, Journalist and Broadcaster

“A wild ride of a read. It vividly captures the dangerous and chaotic times of New York City in the 70s and 80s, and a creative artist on a rebellious, exciting and risky journey to find herself.”

—Jane Bunnett, Juno award winner and Order of Canada member

“I couldn’t help feeling how real this story feels. Two friends coming of age, tucked in the progressive shoulder of America’s 70s, when young people dealt with life head on, sentences were finished, emotions were full of consequences beyond simple emojis, music needed dance, art was a state of being you tested for its grace, and you won or lost fairly and squarely, not with an iPhone in your hand or Google to answer your quest. To read this compelling story is to remember such a time.”

—Rachel Manley, Governor General Award winning author

ISBN 978-1-998796-29-8  Civil Sector Press 2026
soft cover |  5.5 x 8.5 in  |  386 pages